tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587090515600777972024-03-13T15:39:56.221-07:00All About CatsAll You Always Wanted To Know About CatsKelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comBlogger626125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-70991783469216599382010-12-15T20:18:00.000-08:002018-09-25T03:16:46.455-07:00They knead you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://historyworldsome.blogspot.com/2013/12/abolition-of-slavery-in-americas.html" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="They knead you" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtUs8ExBgknoPTp2qNTqiJYQjTbQiUrvKstOPJnkSrKe6sxy-e_2Q76g9tkUfcRJTdCg8j7-EeTW3MAjUjx7aVIIYSlsyzVlA4Bvw6itQFtMp67JAYxyiXHXqo4RT9obghqBj5uYJIv5Z/s1600/annimal.jpg" title="They knead you" width="470" /></a></div>
<br />
Kneading refers to a cat’s habit of using its front paws to massage a person’s chest or stomach. It goes back to kittenhood, when a nursing kitten uses its tiny paws to massage its mother’s udder while sucking. Kneading is inevitably accompanied by purring, and both adults and <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/cosby-and-kittens.html">kittens</a> are clearly in cat heaven while kneading. <br />
<br />
Some cat owners love this evidence that cats can <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/pet-on-board.html">pet</a> their owners as well as be petted. On the other hand, kneading can be downright painful to people, because a cat’s claws are definitely out while kneading. Owners of declawed cats (including the author) find kneading to be a perfectly painless and delightful aspect of cat ownership.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-3694648248587864002010-12-15T20:15:00.000-08:002018-09-25T03:27:01.703-07:00There’s a name for it: “bunting”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://historyworldsome.blogspot.com/2013/12/acadian-deportation.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="There’s a name for it" border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcIzQMYAMCDKWNCXe5vKyRPhAazyExWxmZ4NLepHooAm8MPGti4oI1BAHlZj3HTjCYDHGhPgUD5nI1_f6HjMn1kR-UXCJHS7ipffwdFn7CsGORHNwEL62Am_yWAt1bflmL-l0FM4lihwD/s1600/annimal.jpg" title="There’s a name for it" width="470"/></a></div><br />
There’s a fabric called “bunting,” and you can “bunt” a baseball. Likewise, your cat will “bunt” you and your furniture as part of a familiar habit: rubbing the side of his head against a person or an object. <br />
<br />
This isn’t just affection; the cat is actually leaving behind some glandular secretions from his face as a kind of “I was here” signal to himself and other cats. We can be thankful that this form of scent marking is practiced on us instead of the much more obnoxious spraying of urine.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-44133402248056677192010-12-15T20:13:00.000-08:002010-12-15T20:13:27.982-08:00Mad dashes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4gdOlmx5ENtJcV8yM4psadK1Or9aztBNxCIrdmNchq3Hf3APfc2vDjyxgczVOwheYr2USWqzrIYS0GpUnKE-3IPwGZla2JT0zvqESdGkIyyIhullWMi-2BVf-XEBW6RqdCiw8iOSeVCH/s1600/cat-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4gdOlmx5ENtJcV8yM4psadK1Or9aztBNxCIrdmNchq3Hf3APfc2vDjyxgczVOwheYr2USWqzrIYS0GpUnKE-3IPwGZla2JT0zvqESdGkIyyIhullWMi-2BVf-XEBW6RqdCiw8iOSeVCH/s1600/cat-005.jpg" /></a></div>It amuses us as much as it mystifies us: for no apparent reason a cat suddenly makes a mad dash through the house. Many cat owners claim cats do so after using the <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/pregnancy-and-litter-boxes.html">litter</a> box, perhaps to express a sense of relief and release. Conversely, some do it right after eating. <br />
<br />
But often the cat’s mad dash is connected to no other event. Experts in animal <a href="http://insectspedia.blogspot.com/2010/10/defensive-behavior.html">behavior</a> suggest that running fits might relieve tension, but tension doesn’t seem to be much of a problem for many cats. Perhaps the best and most satisfying explanation is that it just feels really good to run and frolic, even if it’s just for a few seconds.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-77322726722273937242010-12-15T20:09:00.000-08:002010-12-15T20:09:46.628-08:00The “I see you” call<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulaccCJDwRKJpCrRAkYn5wjx6LZ_Z228PPWJ96guZS-DsVfv5CmqeuPbvWJu_1737ihRAllZF5rhpxGze3vVgIXlwg31iJwRgU24KzqF3F_4w9K-WAt4TnfaCXNPP33OaRgVPC57WpOB7/s1600/cat-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulaccCJDwRKJpCrRAkYn5wjx6LZ_Z228PPWJ96guZS-DsVfv5CmqeuPbvWJu_1737ihRAllZF5rhpxGze3vVgIXlwg31iJwRgU24KzqF3F_4w9K-WAt4TnfaCXNPP33OaRgVPC57WpOB7/s1600/cat-006.jpg" /></a></div>Cats vary greatly in their “talkativeness,” but most of them will give an “acknowledgment” call to <a href="http://agemythologystories.blogspot.com/2010/04/fushi-teaches-people.html">people</a> with whom they are familiar. This is a very short, soft “meow” uttered when, for example, you walk through a room where the cat is sitting. <br />
<br />
The acknowledgment call isn’t urgent or pleading, and you won’t hear it if you’ve just walked into the <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/cat-in-poe-house.html">house</a> after being gone for two weeks. Cat owners find it to be a pleasant part of owning a cat, for it seems to be the cat’s way of communicating, “Yes, I see you,” rather than ignoring the person.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-74950544543513240422010-12-15T20:07:00.000-08:002010-12-15T20:07:46.547-08:00Allogrooming and autogrooming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DgTsQys4bbBGZTZWYej18eRFKffL5vbGMh-vagkcEaji9Dxrm0FURILuwoWAqzP3QcoTTbyHQXQJZ9X32_-PHZPVl8ozus6IQ-87NG44mbunqsagGl2tImMfc1jpSJcOGMvsb3Iac8cL/s1600/cat-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DgTsQys4bbBGZTZWYej18eRFKffL5vbGMh-vagkcEaji9Dxrm0FURILuwoWAqzP3QcoTTbyHQXQJZ9X32_-PHZPVl8ozus6IQ-87NG44mbunqsagGl2tImMfc1jpSJcOGMvsb3Iac8cL/s1600/cat-007.jpg" /></a></div>Yes, we all know that cats are fanatical groomers (that is, lickers) of themselves, but every cat owner also knows that a cat will also groom his owner, and other cats as well. <br />
<br />
Naturally there are technical terms to employ here: autogrooming refers (<a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/10/of-course-cats-dance.html">of course</a>) to the cat’s grooming of himself, while allogrooming refers to licking other cats or humans. The cat spends less time and attention on you than on himself for the obvious reason: he assumes (correctly or not) that you are responsible for keeping yourself clean.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-88453783790694444272010-12-15T20:05:00.000-08:002010-12-15T20:05:27.734-08:00So much primp time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxrREeJrJH40NazPGbLjCOygRo2vNHwvAzVfsiD4sLgWCkqTYyF4GY5_D4k3Q17BGAingYvA4HRBdZrnESYWyZ6teaO4PHRV1Dnp-jRmGtq9NEiXCavIsH-WKHpdrVP-0R_1kMIdeN2SD/s1600/cat-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxrREeJrJH40NazPGbLjCOygRo2vNHwvAzVfsiD4sLgWCkqTYyF4GY5_D4k3Q17BGAingYvA4HRBdZrnESYWyZ6teaO4PHRV1Dnp-jRmGtq9NEiXCavIsH-WKHpdrVP-0R_1kMIdeN2SD/s1600/cat-008.jpg" /></a></div>If a human spent one-third of his waking hours on grooming, you would call that person vain and self-obsessed (unless the person was you, <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/10/of-course-cats-dance.html">of course</a>). But it is estimated that cats do indeed spend about one-third of their waking hours in grooming, and no cat owner would argue with that.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-12459640343688476732010-12-15T20:03:00.000-08:002010-12-15T20:03:20.884-08:00Covering their traces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm27xKW4Kge9KuDTC6mCHEHNCtkXBPWVjS_h_7AKN8aL1P6LZbKAjby18H7p_mFcqxZKAP7MJrBOx-VvlKs_QzMYVOAwROgUMZIAqN1bn_k3C_tR937rK-pUoP56Ec17o_jisUKQE6aV7E/s1600/cat-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm27xKW4Kge9KuDTC6mCHEHNCtkXBPWVjS_h_7AKN8aL1P6LZbKAjby18H7p_mFcqxZKAP7MJrBOx-VvlKs_QzMYVOAwROgUMZIAqN1bn_k3C_tR937rK-pUoP56Ec17o_jisUKQE6aV7E/s1600/cat-009.jpg" /></a></div>The fact that cats use their litter boxes (usually) is one of their finer traits. Owners assume that covering up their wastes is another sign of cats’ fabled <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/cleanliness-obsession-at-cat-shows.html">cleanliness</a>. It is, in part, but it’s also part of their wild genes: by covering up their traces they are acting in the role of wild animals who do not want to leave anything behind that will lead to their being trailed.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-41611621220073215502010-12-15T20:00:00.000-08:002010-12-15T20:00:55.692-08:00High as a cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYqqQTcguoHAUeGG5u96TOaKlnemJNNTVhVZuHraBSLHfN_zRCn_z74ogAoWZw1SjlYfinrdjXIotkdwXhqHrWwdU0PoHcCN1UIHbjXoy5y696cCmy0e12ySz6FrI90ZPURiDTO6-DbhI/s1600/cat-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYqqQTcguoHAUeGG5u96TOaKlnemJNNTVhVZuHraBSLHfN_zRCn_z74ogAoWZw1SjlYfinrdjXIotkdwXhqHrWwdU0PoHcCN1UIHbjXoy5y696cCmy0e12ySz6FrI90ZPURiDTO6-DbhI/s1600/cat-010.jpg" /></a></div>If you’ve ever given your cat the herb known as catnip, you know how much pleasure it gives. The cat rubs his face in it, licks it, then stretches, rolls around on the floor and in <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/12/longhairs-in-general.html">general</a> gives the impression of being in extreme ecstasy. If you’ve ever seen a female cat in heat, you know that a “catnip high” appears very similar to a “heat high.” <br />
<br />
However, these two highs aren’t quite the same; plus, male cats respond to catnip exactly as females do. Catnip is available in stores everywhere, and lots of people grow their own. As with drugs and alcohol for humans, catnip can lose its zip if given too often to your cat.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-54165675079243449412010-12-15T19:57:00.000-08:002010-12-15T19:57:17.722-08:00The urine-catnip common bond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcV-rIngu8JMop0tp3emNg9prg1PkqFeYlXGFaUlgUjlg64CaoQ1noGb-uPh1C837fJ55DhpDog45kGlFo8FNf2BP0M1z6NnOU06NjjthXBv2Q6Rwu4ygox0_urhtKIyOE0X855wgdObZ4/s1600/cat-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcV-rIngu8JMop0tp3emNg9prg1PkqFeYlXGFaUlgUjlg64CaoQ1noGb-uPh1C837fJ55DhpDog45kGlFo8FNf2BP0M1z6NnOU06NjjthXBv2Q6Rwu4ygox0_urhtKIyOE0X855wgdObZ4/s1600/cat-011.jpg" /></a></div>To the human nose, <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/10/catnip-toy-guy.html">catnip</a> has only a faint smell, but obviously cats respond to it in a flamboyant way. Curiously, cats can also get a high by sniffing a concentrated extract of tomcat urine, which humans respond to in quite a different way. <br />
<br />
It appears that the <a href="http://insectspedia.blogspot.com/2010/11/chemical-defense.html">chemical</a> compound nepetalactone, which is the pleasure-inducing ingredient in catnip, is similar to something found in tomcat urine. (Here’s a hint: If you want to please your cat—and yourself—stick with catnip and avoid the urine extract.)Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-73181539645480263282010-12-15T19:55:00.000-08:002010-12-15T19:55:01.304-08:00Privacy, please<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUpEV3sGmSuvn9rJ3WSCpYf9rAQDcdGM-WyNXkaQT-orGYe8MbFnG81hN_xfPuLYrqEpDplAKiz2vIvTCosEvc1nhMwCtJrjgj1_LVOxzY5_mIz2nA3RTTCtRPDoY6TQKVEcD57hl7ke5/s1600/cat-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUpEV3sGmSuvn9rJ3WSCpYf9rAQDcdGM-WyNXkaQT-orGYe8MbFnG81hN_xfPuLYrqEpDplAKiz2vIvTCosEvc1nhMwCtJrjgj1_LVOxzY5_mIz2nA3RTTCtRPDoY6TQKVEcD57hl7ke5/s1600/cat-012.jpg" /></a></div>Dogs are notoriously “public” animals, perfectly willing to urinate and defecate in a busy area with lots of <a href="http://amazingrainbow.blogspot.com/2010/01/reasons-why-people-do-not-achieve-their.html">people</a> observing. Cats are more reserved, and while they don’t object to being watched, they do object to having their litter box placed in a high-traffic area.<br />
<br />
One way they show their displeasure with this situation is that they cease to use the box and find their own spot somewhere else in the home. A <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/litter-box-buffet.html">litter box</a>, to satisfy both the cat and the owner, ought to be in a quiet, low-traffic zone in the home.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-63157283092488067652010-12-15T19:51:00.000-08:002010-12-15T19:51:58.716-08:00Love your smell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsOrCuvzaacMFMzt7p8xnKD6lY4yP7qE4wcPMLsqAsBNzGJlqFVcHr3IHxAU3yvpv7a1KxTTRFSJD1d_IC73w6U8CuBWpHS5HZ1c1hG31pf5TgUnl_9Cj_ZNhrKzXA4rpznq8-kAnqQ7l/s1600/cat-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsOrCuvzaacMFMzt7p8xnKD6lY4yP7qE4wcPMLsqAsBNzGJlqFVcHr3IHxAU3yvpv7a1KxTTRFSJD1d_IC73w6U8CuBWpHS5HZ1c1hG31pf5TgUnl_9Cj_ZNhrKzXA4rpznq8-kAnqQ7l/s1600/cat-013.jpg" /></a></div>Whether cats can truly <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/12/love-that-wool.html">love</a> in the human sense has been endlessly debated. Those of us who truly love cats look at it this way: they probably love as much as they are capable, which is all we can <a href="http://amazingrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/11/expect-miracle.html">expect</a> of any being. <br />
<br />
At any rate, they do seem fond of the smell of those they know well, which explains why a cat can be found sleeping on something that has your smell on it—not only the bed, but a sock, shirt, sweater, etc. Some, in fact, like sleeping on a pile of the owner’s dirty laundry. You might not be aware of your distinctive scent on the object, but your pet certainly is.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-18925523149740457672010-12-15T19:47:00.000-08:002010-12-15T19:47:49.653-08:00The “leave no traces” phenomenon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisARdX44nm7ZdiOHqKjz3vnR8xIb06U0N_FzdH9qk11ND8IOr-iWd4lhS_has9jPH5MrdaXt6sX3bPpLMGfF50y6GluMq8t1mgAcChYwkmiQQMV6a5Pyj3FCl-57Wq8anB3OsNI-1GBnZ_/s1600/cat-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisARdX44nm7ZdiOHqKjz3vnR8xIb06U0N_FzdH9qk11ND8IOr-iWd4lhS_has9jPH5MrdaXt6sX3bPpLMGfF50y6GluMq8t1mgAcChYwkmiQQMV6a5Pyj3FCl-57Wq8anB3OsNI-1GBnZ_/s1600/cat-014.jpg" /></a></div>Dogs are lovable but klutzy, and a dog doesn’t give a thought to what he might be knocking over with a wagging tail. Not so the cat. Your cat may occasionally knock over a vase or other household item, but such events are rare because cats are fastidious about not disturbing their environments. (This doesn’t apply to prey or potential prey, obviously.) <br />
<br />
A cat walking across a desk, for example, plants his feet carefully, so as to leave things much the way he found them. This is unnecessary behavior for house pets, of course, but it’s the instinct of their wild ancestors, always trying to keep themselves hidden from both potential prey and potential aggressors.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-9073995633187577392010-12-15T02:59:00.000-08:002010-12-15T02:59:32.936-08:00Mice aren’t stupid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxxvIFzt9aJi3kYeEJ85YVG7jtCxI9rafGP0uHqkv4YbCRQJTLZsN1V0ZxFDJKytgnFNd4HW2eQUZnJZ7ROlmZ1QeA_JyM4jFIAM5prd9J-Un7WsI-PA2B299scKNKnbgtcpDcFq5gkNd/s1600/cat-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxxvIFzt9aJi3kYeEJ85YVG7jtCxI9rafGP0uHqkv4YbCRQJTLZsN1V0ZxFDJKytgnFNd4HW2eQUZnJZ7ROlmZ1QeA_JyM4jFIAM5prd9J-Un7WsI-PA2B299scKNKnbgtcpDcFq5gkNd/s1600/cat-015.jpg" /></a></div>It has been estimated that a young healthy cat could easily kill a thousand mice in a year. Most homeowners will be <a href="http://mediasehat.com/utama02.php">happy</a> to know that their own houses are unlikely to have a thousand mice in a year, or in ten years. <br />
<br />
So in short, if you do own a cat, you probably won’t have mice around, or not for long. Rodents are not stupid, and they will tend to avoid a house where a cat lives. Unlike the cartoons, where the wily mice always get the <a href="http://mediasehat.com/konten1no48">better</a> of the cat, in real life rodents either get eaten or move on to a catless home.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-22868988605962477672010-12-15T02:53:00.000-08:002010-12-15T02:53:26.593-08:00All-natural extermination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LG7pqsD-I-Iv9qlTqo6WwRPRt3wO8yKdXzeK1Iq7PAxdAp9sRL5WgyzgrZ_Mal7QKM8M79L0BdOW9dkUB168TMQCr5qqmUq2LgnDYM9lpsELyyTg-0V9BZ1b1ptLltO_CqNQ0OPekq0o/s1600/cat-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LG7pqsD-I-Iv9qlTqo6WwRPRt3wO8yKdXzeK1Iq7PAxdAp9sRL5WgyzgrZ_Mal7QKM8M79L0BdOW9dkUB168TMQCr5qqmUq2LgnDYM9lpsELyyTg-0V9BZ1b1ptLltO_CqNQ0OPekq0o/s1600/cat-016.jpg" /></a></div>Here in the sanitized twenty-first century we like to think that the household woes of bygone days—including rodents—no longer bother us. But it isn’t so, as proved by the thriving <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/short-and-businesslike-mating.html">business</a> of pest control companies, plus the huge sales of traps and poisons.<br />
<br />
Rodents were around before humans were, and though we live in a high-tech world, low-tech rodents are still a serious problem. Homes and businesses too might be wise to “go <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/12/natural-breeds.html">natural</a>” and fall back on the original pest-control system, cats. In fact, factories and other businesses find that traps and poisons aren’t always the best solutions, since rodents can learn to avoid them.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-52591955382197377062010-12-15T02:50:00.000-08:002010-12-15T02:50:39.441-08:00The sound of the sack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqwEsnIq9qrqj8NskUP3SnFoIyg0R-sjfHtQBfcDqukdFOUyPnZvzsMInPT-nQwk1yM3rJ_-FPw-TwmpO8ZLxvESLhkdFCev4PxdvGVjBgBoChgiPNoldYJXXMwBznpYRLB5OKrEQCq7J/s1600/cat-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqwEsnIq9qrqj8NskUP3SnFoIyg0R-sjfHtQBfcDqukdFOUyPnZvzsMInPT-nQwk1yM3rJ_-FPw-TwmpO8ZLxvESLhkdFCev4PxdvGVjBgBoChgiPNoldYJXXMwBznpYRLB5OKrEQCq7J/s1600/cat-017.jpg" /></a></div>Almost all cats are fascinated by the sound of a paper bag, and every cat owner has probably witnessed the familiar scene of bringing home something from the store and watching the cat turn the bag into a toy.<br />
<br />
The featherweight plastic sacks that have now largely replaced paper bags don’t seem to be quite as much fun for cats, but, whether paper or plastic, bags that make some kind of rustling or crackling noise do hold some fascination. (Aside from the sound, bags are fun places to hide in.) For owners who want to keep their pet supplied with a noisy sack at all times, there is the Krinkle Sack, a machine-washable item that provides the right sound and lasts much longer than the usual throwaway store sack.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-17129069287387402142010-12-15T02:48:00.000-08:002010-12-15T02:48:31.507-08:00Snow as prey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqPsOLvm3XjFuqIXmPBwgoBz_3d32x9dW3Hk06axSJHQFjHcBo1OeYX4LHVEs8WQuyJTs_agwP9DF8o-HsZIVCL7wYOql-nyybE9oeH544Fvz55dTtfhrNfhxlYFkdTfIibwOH9aLt-3N/s1600/cat-018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqPsOLvm3XjFuqIXmPBwgoBz_3d32x9dW3Hk06axSJHQFjHcBo1OeYX4LHVEs8WQuyJTs_agwP9DF8o-HsZIVCL7wYOql-nyybE9oeH544Fvz55dTtfhrNfhxlYFkdTfIibwOH9aLt-3N/s1600/cat-018.jpg" /></a></div>Kittens do it, and so do some adult cats: swat or bite at falling snowflakes. To a cat, each falling snowflake is a potential toy—or to be more accurate, a potential <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/playing-to-prey.html">prey</a> to play with before “killing.”<br />
<br />
Most cats seem to like snow (or at least a few minutes of it), and as long as it isn’t too terribly cold an outdoor cat will go about its normal <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/short-and-businesslike-mating.html">business</a> with snow on the ground. Some find their usual outdoor “latrines” covered with snow, forcing them to go elsewhere temporarily, but some cats will forge right on through snow, insisting on using the same <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/old-food-switcheroo.html">old</a> spot even if it does have an inch of snow over it.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-21860029026927815782010-12-15T02:46:00.000-08:002010-12-15T02:46:07.298-08:00Ah, the taste of urine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92QZjOkDqBNsRse51bKQVQF8eSWzR26ujv37QxtMvohCCZcEp_v7mABK9QAq6dIodFfokUgR5KL_SrxcfAEZeLP4-ItOY-DYHnFckxX2JbFvuDIBEavR6RmU60bENCVcXaywGggCbFoUQ/s1600/cat-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92QZjOkDqBNsRse51bKQVQF8eSWzR26ujv37QxtMvohCCZcEp_v7mABK9QAq6dIodFfokUgR5KL_SrxcfAEZeLP4-ItOY-DYHnFckxX2JbFvuDIBEavR6RmU60bENCVcXaywGggCbFoUQ/s1600/cat-019.jpg" /></a></div>Like many animals, cats use their urine to mark their territory, and this is especially so of unneutered <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/10/dueling-tomcats.html">tomcats</a>. The flip side of this habit is that cats habitually sniff about to determine if another cat has urinated in the vicinity. <br />
<br />
When another cat’s urine has been detected by smell, the cat will then lick up the urine, then move the tip of the <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/12/grate-tongue.html">tongue</a> against the upper palate. Yes, it does sound disgusting, but the reason he does this is that above the hard palate is the vomeronasal organ, a sense organ that (probably) can tell the cat the sex of the cat who produced the <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/water-urine-connection.html">urine</a>. Some scientists consider this organ to be the source of a cat’s sixth sense.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-39702497461759499292010-12-14T10:14:00.000-08:002010-12-14T10:14:48.235-08:00Yes, cats do it too<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fSqbjle1V8VZrMp5GsE7GMl5JJphoFlD6TAcRDsa5JepudUQg6jdFjRNhjbwimb3Zo7o5BWKSnrZbpKtSn67mPuGQM2t8O6o5V4bSUWTmi1DAiKkeDbCZrKlCTP1fAX5Tg-G5d7Y7hqf/s1600/cat-020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fSqbjle1V8VZrMp5GsE7GMl5JJphoFlD6TAcRDsa5JepudUQg6jdFjRNhjbwimb3Zo7o5BWKSnrZbpKtSn67mPuGQM2t8O6o5V4bSUWTmi1DAiKkeDbCZrKlCTP1fAX5Tg-G5d7Y7hqf/s1600/cat-020.jpg" /></a></div>Dogs are notorious for sniffing each other’s rear ends (and, embarrassingly, the rear ends or crotches of human beings also). We’d like to be able to report that cats aren’t so crude, but in <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/10/just-facts-cat.html">fact</a> they are, though less showy about it than dogs are. <br />
<br />
Two cats new to each other will, assuming they don’t <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/12/must-cats-and-dogs-fight.html">fight</a>, at some point get around to sniffing each other around the anal region, probably cautiously circling a few times before the actual sniffing takes place. (We can be thankful that some of these behaviors are not practiced by their human owners.)Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-81238806153322468112010-12-14T06:14:00.000-08:002010-12-14T06:14:58.959-08:00Drinking from the toilet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLEgdFTl5wme9HWeCKfmp02JqpiripCxLZJjZVhXAKzPNQXMr92z0Jf0xUvmhUR2dZfZhrzbnAceJU2AEgSNb5uMUe4FH0_OzvXX8I9UvZT9BIX6LMSx2p8ecXaouZLFYinQo1o024CMz/s1600/cat-021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLEgdFTl5wme9HWeCKfmp02JqpiripCxLZJjZVhXAKzPNQXMr92z0Jf0xUvmhUR2dZfZhrzbnAceJU2AEgSNb5uMUe4FH0_OzvXX8I9UvZT9BIX6LMSx2p8ecXaouZLFYinQo1o024CMz/s1600/cat-021.jpg" /></a></div>We associate this habit with <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/12/must-cats-and-dogs-fight.html">dogs</a>, but cats <a href="http://amazingrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/11/greatest-love-of-all.html">love</a> to do it, too. Why, especially if the cat has a perfectly good water dish available? No one knows for sure, except that we can assume these very independent <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/creatures-of-habit.html">creatures</a> like to seek out their own watering places, just as they would in the wild. <br />
<br />
A cat will drink not only from your toilet but from a birdbath, a fish bowl, a gutter or anything else with water in it, and cats aren’t fussy about whether the <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/12/wateryuck.html">water</a> is fresh or stagnant. The toilet-drinking habit seems disgusting, but remind <a href="http://amazingrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/11/make-yourself-irresistible.html">yourself</a> that your cat would not drink from the toilet if it contained anything besides water.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-9838705111311888132010-12-14T06:10:00.000-08:002010-12-14T06:10:48.755-08:00Do they know their names?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XJPk2F-OvIixTnHDJ8wHENIuerl1ZxaZ1syvV8itHYWCI5R9MhCwi3m9aI7rSRm4Q7WKNy7WZhu2p7rAXHBGj-QoKiWrJ6s5Wj5qBTbGU6ATRF9XtVoaJ1r2rjv_WeJHhDndtOtach-L/s1600/cat-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XJPk2F-OvIixTnHDJ8wHENIuerl1ZxaZ1syvV8itHYWCI5R9MhCwi3m9aI7rSRm4Q7WKNy7WZhu2p7rAXHBGj-QoKiWrJ6s5Wj5qBTbGU6ATRF9XtVoaJ1r2rjv_WeJHhDndtOtach-L/s1600/cat-022.jpg" /></a></div>Dogs certainly do, but do cats? The answer is yes, but whether they choose to come to you when called is another matter. Even the most loving cat still retains his streak of <a href="http://amazingrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/12/express-your-independence.html">independence</a>. A tip for teaching the cat his name: call out the name just before you feed him, so that he comes to associate the <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/that-satisfying-crunching-sound.html">sound</a> with coming to a full dish. In <a href="http://amazingrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-make-most-out-of-your-time.html">time</a> he will connect his name not only with the food but also with the act of coming to you.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-13457505659798153102010-12-14T05:54:00.000-08:002010-12-14T05:54:07.451-08:00Shedding, molting, whatever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZISidgG8JZulqkm8UtrJ69O30GuDhubSJLVG3zTmVyk70dO-HtshtDn_GWgm-fDJFqjrFDbZ-iVHvxUBUM5Fxz0GVZni-a6J3MaiJOEk5fgvD5yvQnJ1UFt4NeOobDmEbYrSnzDqbmYr/s1600/cat-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZISidgG8JZulqkm8UtrJ69O30GuDhubSJLVG3zTmVyk70dO-HtshtDn_GWgm-fDJFqjrFDbZ-iVHvxUBUM5Fxz0GVZni-a6J3MaiJOEk5fgvD5yvQnJ1UFt4NeOobDmEbYrSnzDqbmYr/s1600/cat-023.jpg" /></a></div>Technically, it’s called <a href="http://insectspedia.blogspot.com/2010/08/molting-process.html">molting</a>, but owners usually just speak of shedding, and it’s one of the less pleasant aspects of cat ownership. Cats living in the wild molt hair in the spring, leaving them with a shorter (and cooler) coat for the <a href="http://identifyfish.blogspot.com/2010/10/summer-flounder-paralichthys-dentatus.html">summer</a>. <br />
<br />
But most house cats live in an environment that is artificially lit, heated, and cooled, so your cat is most likely to shed to some extent year round. (An analogy: a cat in the <a href="http://trytostayhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/12/wild-oat.html">wild</a> is like a deciduous tree, dropping old leaves at one time in the fall, but your house pet is like an evergreen, dropping leaves or needles a few at a time no matter the season.)Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-55322597656298902752010-12-14T05:12:00.000-08:002010-12-14T05:12:54.950-08:00Love that wool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ezXRvOGz2oQ37sTrW8jSVVtWEzVhmYjNfsCRH64nEhIBfY31XB8WtREsXtWTHc65uLRVQKN-hJGhSl5IeMtf0D121KXN_S8g7PaMlt_o-M7bANxCQWqgyPLwGkvE-gkuIIRkfuMpj9Vr/s1600/cat-024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ezXRvOGz2oQ37sTrW8jSVVtWEzVhmYjNfsCRH64nEhIBfY31XB8WtREsXtWTHc65uLRVQKN-hJGhSl5IeMtf0D121KXN_S8g7PaMlt_o-M7bANxCQWqgyPLwGkvE-gkuIIRkfuMpj9Vr/s1600/cat-024.jpg" /></a></div>This isn’t as common as other cat problems, but you’ll see it occasionally among <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/12/burmese.html">Burmese</a> and <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/siamese.html">Siamese</a> cats: the cat will chew on cloth, sometimes creating large holes. They seem to prefer wool, which is why vets refer to “wool chewing” and “wool sucking,” but some cats will chew on other fabrics as well. <br />
<br />
No one knows exactly why they do it, though it might be related to a craving for fiber in the <a href="http://trytostayhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/12/wigmore-diet.html">diet</a>. It isn’t easily solved, though some <a href="http://amazingrainbow.blogspot.com/2010/01/reasons-why-people-do-not-achieve-their.html">people</a> work around it by giving the cat an old wool sock or glove to chew on.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-38441021049569796472010-12-14T05:10:00.000-08:002010-12-14T05:10:11.279-08:00Wetting the tires<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoegpFUaUz_MXuBqHWiNucyLqz_VEr7O2vMStyiqnL3eoaxM-YGkWxN7P4j9ga3DHPO9YNcnlicP2p1Ywm9srQmFt3qdZYDjsGDEsKPWQ0Zv1nwHe8xz0Fz2wbF4isUodAR76aooYNObT0/s1600/cat-025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoegpFUaUz_MXuBqHWiNucyLqz_VEr7O2vMStyiqnL3eoaxM-YGkWxN7P4j9ga3DHPO9YNcnlicP2p1Ywm9srQmFt3qdZYDjsGDEsKPWQ0Zv1nwHe8xz0Fz2wbF4isUodAR76aooYNObT0/s1600/cat-025.jpg" /></a></div>You may have seen dogs urinating on car tires, but did you know that <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/10/roman-tomcats.html">tomcats</a> do it too? As with dogs, unneutered tomcats who do this are marking their territory (and, like dogs, don’t understand that the “marked car” isn’t going to <a href="http://trytostayhealthy.blogspot.com/">stay</a> in one place).Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-81161245050708042022010-12-14T05:08:00.000-08:002010-12-14T05:08:06.585-08:00The three marking methods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQwn38NFxjYE6Xf8tFi8QugJkHBS1FR9h8Iv8axgQ0ITxwqgTkio0J_WxjAIvIkEhzIJl9qcmgYpkIiUinkszSy328AcjFYrTKZbETzEnXFDSdkkfPM72Tw5PssSPFTMn8Wx4IEd7ZmR6/s1600/cat-026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQwn38NFxjYE6Xf8tFi8QugJkHBS1FR9h8Iv8axgQ0ITxwqgTkio0J_WxjAIvIkEhzIJl9qcmgYpkIiUinkszSy328AcjFYrTKZbETzEnXFDSdkkfPM72Tw5PssSPFTMn8Wx4IEd7ZmR6/s1600/cat-026.jpg" /></a></div>In marking their territories, cats use three <a href="http://realfemale.blogspot.com/2009/12/natural-breast-enlargement-methods.html">methods</a>, one related to sight, the others related to smell. To provide visual evidence of “This is mine!” cats scratch. (And you thought they were just sharpening their claws.) <br />
<br />
To provide olfactory evidence, they rub objects with their muzzles, leaving glandular secretions that humans can’t <a href="http://knowaboutcats.blogspot.com/2010/11/acidify-that-smell.html">smell</a> but that are picked up by other cats. And even more noticeable olfactory evidence results from spraying urine—unneutered toms are the worst (and most malodorous) perpetrators.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758709051560077797.post-27426442710087517162010-12-14T05:04:00.000-08:002010-12-14T05:04:54.600-08:00Sampling the vegetation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1tu9CDcpT4FYqNFq7dl387SNZTCBtpsWEf6_o0Wz2VvW61Mj7QB1sFPwpkYgXPmnDDa1bnkCD9U0s5P8xf31uA67nliALP2DEvKQWHu8NzoqY2NnukakF-PYyRMfsXU2eZ4vMh-HovOx/s1600/cat-027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1tu9CDcpT4FYqNFq7dl387SNZTCBtpsWEf6_o0Wz2VvW61Mj7QB1sFPwpkYgXPmnDDa1bnkCD9U0s5P8xf31uA67nliALP2DEvKQWHu8NzoqY2NnukakF-PYyRMfsXU2eZ4vMh-HovOx/s1600/cat-027.jpg" /></a></div>Cats are carnivores, with no interest in <a href="http://trytostayhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/03/drink-your-vegetables.html">vegetable</a> food, and yet they will occasionally chew on plants. People watched his cat roam in the yard, which contains several poisonous plants, including dieffenbachia and allamanda. Happily, his cat has sniffed at these but never bitten into them. <br />
<br />
In fact, outdoor cats very rarely chew on poisonous plants, but sometimes bored indoor cats do bite into houseplants, and some of the <a href="http://identifyfish.blogspot.com/2010/11/common-carp-cyprinus-carpio.html">common</a> ones—dieffenbachia and philodendron, for example—are poisonous. While few cats are ever poisoned this way, it might give you peace of mind to ask your vet for a list of poisonous shrubs and houseplants, plus information on emergency treatment.Kelly Amaretahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081828748046737950noreply@blogger.com